Cooking recipes - Desserts - How to make Italian Panettone?
Panettone is a traditional Italian Christmas bread known for its tall, domed shape, buttery aroma, and soft, airy crumb dotted with candied fruit. It takes time because of the multiple risings, but the process is straightforward if you follow each step carefully.
📝 Ingredients
For the starter dough (preferment):
- ½ glass (about 100–120 ml) lukewarm water
- 25 g fresh baker’s yeast
- 100 g strong flour (bread flour)
- 50 g sugar
- 1 egg yolk
For the main dough:
- 400 g strong flour (bread flour)
- 150 g sugar
- 200 g butter, softened
- 200 ml whipping cream
- 3 egg yolks
- 150–200 g chopped candied fruit
- 1 tablespoon orange blossom water (optional but very traditional)
- Panettone paper mould or a tall removable baking tin
For finishing:
- 1 beaten egg (for brushing)
- Icing sugar (for dusting)
🍞 How to Make Traditional Italian Panettone
Panettone requires three risings to achieve the characteristic airy, stretchy crumb. The times may vary slightly depending on temperature, but the steps below reflect typical home-baking conditions.
⭐ 1. Prepare the Starter Dough (First Rising)
Time: approximately 2 hours
- In a small bowl, combine:
- lukewarm water
- fresh yeast (crumbled)
- 100 g flour
- 50 g sugar
- 1 egg yolk
- Mix until you get a thick, sticky batter.
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a clean cloth.
- Let it rest for about 2 hours, or until the mixture becomes bubbly and increases in volume.
This step helps develop flavor and gives the panettone a strong rising base.
⭐ 2. Make the Main Dough (Second Rising)
Time: 1.5–2 hours
- In a large mixing bowl, add:
- 400 g flour
- softened butter
- 3 egg yolks
- whipping cream
- Mix until combined. The dough will be rich and slightly sticky.
If you have a stand mixer with a dough hook, it helps enormously. - Add:
- the chopped candied fruit
- the orange blossom water
- the entire starter dough you made earlier
- Knead the mixture thoroughly until smooth.
With a mixer: about 8–10 minutes.
By hand: 10–15 minutes. - Cover the bowl with a cloth and let the dough rest again for 1.5–2 hours, or until it doubles in size.
⭐ 3. Shape and Final Fermentation (Third Rising)
Time: 1–2 hours
- Once the dough has risen, transfer it to your panettone mould.
The mould should be filled only about halfway, as the dough will rise again. - Allow the dough to ferment for a third time.
Estimate: 1–2 hours at room temperature. - Tip:
To speed up this step, you may place the mould in the oven at 50°C (122°F) with the door slightly ajar until the dough rises close to the top of the mould.
⭐ 4. Baking the Panettone
- Preheat the oven to 180°C (356°F).
- Brush the top of the dough with beaten egg for a shiny golden finish.
- Bake for about 30–35 minutes.
If the top browns too quickly, loosely cover it with foil during the last 10 minutes. - Once baked, remove from the oven and let it cool completely on a rack.
- Dust with icing sugar before serving.
🍽️ Extra Tips for Success
- Check doneness:
Insert a skewer in the center — it should come out dry. - Avoid collapsing:
Do not open the oven in the first 20 minutes of baking. - Flavor variations:
You can substitute the candied fruit with chocolate chips or raisins if preferred. - Storage:
Wrap the cooled panettone tightly in plastic wrap. It stays fresh for 3–4 days.
